kacau
English
Alternative forms
Etymology
Pronunciation
Verb
kacau (generally invariable)
- (Manglish, Singlish) To disturb; to bother or trouble (someone).
- 2014, Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan, Singapore Noir, Akashic Books, →ISBN, page 85:
- So even when his army kaki gajiau-ed him for evening joyrides, promising to bring a nice bottle of Black Label if he agreed, he always said no.
- 2019 June 12, Tan Tam Mei, quoting Singa Retnam, “SCDF NSF death: Corporal had a 'scared smile' after ragging ritual was mentioned, says witness”, in The Straits Times[1], Singapore, archived from the original on 25 March 2024:
- Nazhan's defence lawyer Singa Retnam asked him if he had heard Nazhan telling Cpl Kok during the celebrations: "If anyone 'kacau' (bothers) you, tell me".
Indonesian
Etymology
From Malay kacau, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kacaw (“to disturb”).
Pronunciation
- (Standard Indonesian) IPA(key): /ˈkat͡ʃau̯/ [ˈka.t͡ʃau̯]
- Rhymes: -at͡ʃau̯
- Syllabification: ka‧cau
Adjective
kacau
Derived terms
Further reading
- “kacau”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016
Malay
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kacaw (“to disturb”).
Pronunciation
- (Baku, Johor-Riau) IPA(key): /ˈkat͡ʃaw/ [ˈka.t͡ʃau̯]
- Rhymes: -at͡ʃau̯, -au̯
- Hyphenation: ka‧cau
Adjective
kacau (Jawi spelling کاچاو)
Derived terms
Affixations
Verb
kacau (Jawi spelling کاچاو)
- (intransitive) to stir (to disturb the relative position of the particles of, as of a liquid, by passing something through it); to make disorderly, confused
- (intransitive, figurative) to disturb; to agitate; to stir
Synonyms
- (to disturb): ganggu
Descendants
Further reading
- “kacau”, in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu [Malay Literary Reference Centre] (in Malay), Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017